Propeller.



v A. BARKER.

PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20, 1913.

1,217,684. I Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. BARKER.

PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. I9l3.

Patehted Fb. 2?;1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ommmmwasnmmau. u c

ran STATES AuaIoL BAnKnR, or CLONCURRY, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA.

PROPELLER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

Application filed October 20, 1913. Serial No. 796,301.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, AURIOL BARKER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Cloncurry, in the State of Queensland, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Propellers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has been designed primarily with a view to providing-an improved propeller for use in ships, airships, aeroplanes, etc. It will, however, be understood that it is also applicable for use on windmills, turbines and the like.

In carrying my invention into effect, I

provide a boss, carried by the propeller shaft and on this I form my propeller either by casting it solid with the boss or by attaching the blade or blades thereto by bolts,

studs or otherwise.

One or more blades may be used and these are, as it were, cut helically out of a sphere or spheroid, along certain geometrical lines.

In order that my invention maybe better understood, I will now describe it with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in

which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a two blade propeller showing the method of marking out same. 7

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of same.

Fig. 3 is a view taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1.

As I said before, my screw is, as it were, cut helically out of a sphere or spheroid, along certain geometrical lines. These lines are found as follows Let us suppose that the boss or hub A of the propeller is the axis of a sphere and that the ends B C are the poles while D is the great circle. This great circleD is divided into eight equal parts at points E and circles F (hereinafter called longitudinal circles)v are drawn around the sphere through the points E and poles B C. Again lesser circles G, H, J, K, L are drawn on the surface.

of the globe as follows The planes of the circles G are equidistant (axially, that is, not on the surface of the globe) between the plane of the great circle D and poles B, C.

The planes of the circles H are equidistant (axially) between the planes of the circles G and the poles B, C and so on. If desired for finer setting out, the divisions between the points E may be subdivided as at E and longitudinal circles F drawn, the divisions (aXially).betWeen the planes of the circles D, G, H, J, K, L, being similarly divided and other circles I-I, etc. drawn; 7

A helix M is now marked (as shown by broken lines) on the surface of the sphere 'by drawing diagonals through the intersections N of the longitudinal circles F F with the great and lesser circles D, G, G, etc.

This helix M may form the center of, (as shown) or one side of, the blade,the sides or remaining side being arrived at in thesame manner to that already described, the thickness ofthe metal being arranged as desired.

The width of the blade decreases helically from the great circle to the poles. The sides P of the blades are formed radially toward the center thus causing the thickness to gradually decrease, as shown by section lines in Fig. 2. In the case of large propellers the thickness of the blades at the outer edge is such that if solid they would be unnecessarily heavy. I therefore propose that the blades should be recessed, hollowed, or made thinner as the blade approaches the greater circle D, it of course being understood that the surface should be formed along the geometrical lines hereinbefore set forth.

As before stated, the blades may be formed solid with the boss or hub, 01 they may be bolted or otherwise secured thereto; I do not bind myself to any particular method of construction, but, it is advisable that where the blades meet the boss they should be finished sharp and not filleted. The boss or hulp should have as small a diameter as possib e.

As the screw is the most powerful of mechanical appliances, and the sphere the best economy of space, the propeller herein described is possessed of a great advantage and utility over the present types of'screw propellers, the blade periphery of which lies thereof progressively encounter a larger surface of the same, and, due to the radial surfaces of the blades, tend to force the fluid inwardly against the action of the centrifugal force, whereby the propeller is constantly kept fully charged with the fluid.

Such action continues to the central portion of the propeller; and the action progressively' decreases from the central portion to the point of exit at the opposite pole of the 7 boss A. As the decreasing action takes place the fluid is progressively forced out of the propeller and against the surrounding fluid, so that the surface of reaction is thereby increased and contributes to'provide a greater ing its periphery lying in the surface of a Copies of this patent-may be obtained for sphere, said blade being disposed so as to form with the hub an angle of approximately forty-five degrees at substantially the center thereof and becoming gradually more acute toward the ends of said hub, substantially as described.

2. A propeller comprising a hub, and blades running spirally about said hub with their-peripheries lying in'the surface of a sphere and their side faces coinciding with radii of the'sphere leaving their outer edges relatively thick, said blades being so disposed as to form With the center of the hub an angle of approximately forty-five degrees and becoming progressively more acute toward the ends thereof, substantially as described. v

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature, in presence oftwo Witnesses.

FLORENCE MARY GWENLLIAN HALY, GEORGE STANDISH HARPER HALY.

five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

